


Unexpected

by callmecirce



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2018-12-19 03:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 11,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11888667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmecirce/pseuds/callmecirce
Summary: These are my related ChloNath drabbles, gathered together in chronological order to create the whole story.  So, it's not really new, but I wanted to put them all together.  :)  I hope you enjoy!





	1. At the Louvre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathanael offers to help Chloe during a trip to the Louvre, and Chloe has no idea what to think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week Day 1: Bickering/Flirting, and “Are you tired? Here, I’ll carry you the rest of the way” from the fluffy prompt list.

As they made their way through the Louvre, Nathanaël noticed as Chloe lagged farther and farther behind their group, her face pinched in a way that was less ‘foul temper’ and more ‘this hurts’. Even Sabrina had given up on staying back with her, though, which suggested that perhaps there was some foul temper there, too. He sighed, knowing he was probably wasting his time, but he stopped to wait for her to catch up.

“What do you want, Kurtzberg?” She demanded when she saw what he was doing.

He ignored her question, and cocked his head curiously. “Are you tired?”

“No, of course not,” Chloe snapped petulantly, glaring at him. “My feet hurt.”

He looked pointedly at her feet, which were encased in lemon-yellow patent leather peep-toe pumps with ludicrously high heels, and raised a brow.

“What? They’re gorgeous.”

“Oh, well then. Come here, I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

She looked at him with doubt and hope warring on her lovely face. “Really?”

“No,” he scoffed. “You should have known better than to wear four inch heels to a museum, Chloe.”

“Ugh! As if I would let you touch me, anyway.” She stuck her nose in the air and attempted to flounce off, but the effect was ruined when she whimpered.

Nathanaël rolled his eyes. “Chloe, wait.” He lightly caught her wrist and she froze, her spine stiff. “Come sit at this bench, and I will see if there’s a first aid station somewhere. You probably have blisters or something.”

She huffed. “Fine. But be quick about it.”

He rolled his eyes again, and mentally berated himself for even trying. He spoke briefly to their art history professor, and discovered that not only was there a first aid station, but that it was nearby.

He followed the directions and found the small office easily. Inside, there was a kindly middle-aged man behind the desk who smiled knowingly when he heard Nathanaël’s request, but handed over a stack of Band-Aids without comment. He thanked the man, and took his bounty back to Chloe.

To his surprise, he found her sitting on the bench with her shoes off, her heels perched on the edge of the bench, and her forehead resting on her raised knees. She had nasty-looking blisters on the foot closest to him, so it was a good bet that she had a matching set on the other foot. It was strange; she looked vulnerable in a way that he’d never seen before, and it made him glad that he’d braved her sharp tongue to help her. She must have heard him approaching, though, because her head snapped up and her feet dropped to the ground.

“Finally!” She huffed, flushing not with anger, but embarrassment. The anger was just a cover for her embarrassment at having been caught in a position of weakness.

He blinked at the sudden insight, and wondered if there were more such insights to uncover. His mouth curled into a smile, and she huffed again. He held the Band-Aids out to her, and she snatched them from his hand. His smile didn’t waver. “Do you want me to wait with you?”

“Of course not, I—” She cut herself off, blinking as she looked around and realized that the rest of their group had moved on to another section of the museum. “Perhaps you should wait here. Sabrina is gone, and I will need someone to dispose of the trash when I’m done.”

Nathanaël’s eyebrows climbed almost to his hairline. “Oh, can I, please?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re welcome for getting the Band-Aids that you so clearly needed, and you’re welcome for staying to keep you company until we can catch up with the group.”

She stared at him in confusion. “Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Nathanaël Kurtzberg?”

His laughter rang through the gallery, followed by another indignant huff.


	2. Chance Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathanael sees Chloe sitting alone at a cafe, and decides to go say hi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Day 2, honey/tomato

Nathanaël glanced up from his textbook when the bell above the door jingled, just as he had every other time the door had opened.  This café was usually a good place to study, but today it was busier than normal  _and_  he’d had the misfortune of sitting right by the door.  He sighed, flipping his book closed in defeat. 

Oh well, at least he could still people-watch as he enjoyed his coffee.

He sat back in his seat and let his eyes roam over the crowded café, absently noting interesting details and mentally planning how he might sketch them.  It was an old habit, and one that he still enjoyed.  His eyes paused, though, when they landed on a familiar head of honey-gold hair, and his lips curled into a smile. 

She was sitting alone on the other side of the café, at a booth next to the window.  An open book sat on the table in front of her, but she ignored it in favor of staring out the window at the cloudy sky beyond.   She looked…lonely.   He considered her for a moment more, then gathered his things into his bag and moved across the restaurant to slide into the seat across from her.

She looked at him in surprise, and then her eyes narrowed.  “I don’t recall inviting you to join me.”

His brows rose as he took a slow sip from his coffee.  “Hello to you too, Chloe.”

“What do you want, tomato-head?”

“The café is busy,” he shrugged, indicating the rest of the shop with his mug.  “This seat was free and I thought I’d free up another table for someone else.”

“How lovely,” she drawled, with a patently false smile on her face.  Then the smile fell, and she made a shooing motion with her hands.  “Now leave, I’m trying to study and the god-awful shade of your hair is distracting me.”

He just settled more comfortably into his seat and continued to sip at his coffee, regarding her steadily. 

She frowned, though there was more confusion in the expression than anything else.  “Didn’t you hear me?  Go away.”  This time, she made a show of leaning forward to stare at her book, ignoring him pointedly.

He smiled behind his coffee mug and shifted his gaze to the window, watching the people moving quickly outside. 

She made it only a few minutes before she snapped her book closed and scowled at him.  “What is with you, recently?  Why aren’t you scurrying away like you used to?”

He met her sharp blue gaze and tilted his head thoughtfully.  “Your barbs stopped bothering me a long time ago, Chloe.  Until recently, you inspired nothing so much as apathy in me.”  He took another drink of his coffee while she spluttered indignantly.  “But then I saw something I’d never noticed before, and realized that there’s actually a  _woman_  beneath that prickly exterior.  I find myself wanting to know her better, even if it means getting through the prickles to do so.”

She gaped at him, clearly blind-sided by his confession and rendered utterly speechless for perhaps the first time since they’d met. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted,” she said finally.

He set his mug down with another shrug.  “Take it however you want.  But you should know that if you truly want me to leave you alone, I will.”

Her lips pursed, and she sniffed haughtily.  “Good.  I want you to leave.”

Nathanaël felt a flash of disappointment at her response, but he wasn’t surprised.  It  _was_  Chloe, after all.  Perhaps he’d expected too much.  He drained his mug and stood, grabbing his bag as he did so.  “See you later, Chloe.”

He glanced back at her as he left, catching her in an unguarded moment.  Her face looked both surprised and sad, but it was gone as soon as she realized she’d been caught and the haughty mask slipped back into place. 

The damage was done, though.  He’d seen.  His lips tilted up in another small smile, and he wondered if perhaps she would surprise him after all.


	3. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe goes looking looking for Nathanael in the bowels of the art building on campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week Day 3: Art

Nathanaël stepped back to view his project from a distance, then began to pace around it with a critical eye, looking for flaws. Sculpture was  _not_  his favorite medium, but his professor wanted a sculpture and so a sculpture she would have.

At least he’d had a great deal of control over his execution of the project. Some professors were far too narrow in the scope of their assignments; this one was kind enough (or wise enough) to leave the bulk of the decisions to her students.  Her only requirement had been that it must contain movement, and even then, she had refused to clarify that statement at all.  Some of his classmates had freaked out at the lack of structure, but Nathanaël was in heaven.

He’d chosen to create an optical illusion—it was entirely stationary, but gave the  _appearance_  of movement if the viewer moved.  It had been a bitch to design, and an even bigger bitch to actually make, but the result was well worth the effort.  He circled it again once more, and nodded to himself in satisfaction.  It was done.  _Finally._

He wheeled it into his assigned storage closet and locked up, grabbed his keys and jacket from the worktable without breaking his stride, and hit the lights.  As he walked up the hall, he pulled his phone out to shoot a text to the guys. He sent it off with a smile, already looking forward to kicking back with a few drinks, and looked up just in time to meet a familiar pair of blue eyes.  He blinked.  He’d seen her in passing several times over the last few weeks, but they hadn’t spoken since that day in the café . 

“Chloe?  What are you doing here?”  Her eyes widened in…was that panic?  He frowned, wondering what she could possibly be doing in the art building at this hour.  Their art history class had ended hours ago, and wasn’t scheduled to meet again for two more days.  “Is everything ok?”

“Everything is  _fine_ , tomato-head,” she snapped, her eyes narrowed in disdain.  “I was just…walking through.”

“Through to where?”  He glanced behind him to the blank wall at the end of the hall and looked back at her with raised brows.  “I think there’s an emergency exit back there somewhere, but there’s nothing behind this building.”

“Ugh, fine.  I was looking for you.”  She blushed, and suddenly seemed to find something fascinating in her manicure.

“Looking…for me?”  He blinked again, and felt his smile working its way back to his face.  “What, did you need something for class?”

“N— _yes_!”  Her manicure now forgotten, she put her hand to her cocked hip and tipped her chin up in challenge.  “Do you have the notes from today’s lecture?  I, er, spilled tomato juice on mine.”

Nathanaël choked on his laugh, and attempted to cover it with a cough.  Her eyes narrowed but she let it go, and he figured that he would, too. “Ah.  Well then.  I just finished a project, and was about to go and grab something to eat.  Would you want to come with me?  We could talk over the lecture, and then if you still needed them, we could grab my notes from the dorm.”

Her eyes lit as he spoke, and he found himself distracted.  Who knew that her eyes could be so damned lovely, when they sparked with interest rather than malice?

“Project?  Like, an art project?”

“Uh, yeah.”  He cleared his throat and subtly shook himself.  “My sculpture.  Did you, uh, want to see it?”

“Can I?”

“Sure.  It’s just in here.”  He turned and led the way back into the room he’d just left, and flipped the lights back on. “I don’t usually like sculpture, but I’m actually pretty pleased with this one.”

She was surprisingly quiet as she followed him.  More surprising was that she waited patiently while he unlocked the door and pulled his creation out on its wheeled base.  He stepped to the side so that she could look at it, and allowed himself to watch her face in turn.  

“What the hell is it?”  She frowned, looking confused and a little disappointed at first.   Then she stepped closer saw what they were, and her expression cleared.  “Bees?”

“Bees,” he confirmed, leaning his hips against his work table and resting the heels of his hands on the edge.

She nodded and shifted to the side, then gasped when she realized its secret.  “It moves!”

“No.”  He smiled, enjoying her reaction. “It doesn’t move, but it gives that illusion if you do.”

She began to walk around it in much the same way he had done earlier, her eyes wide and her mouth split in a genuine smile.  “This is incredible.”  Then it hit her that she’d offered a compliment, and scrambled to back-track.  “I mean, if you’re into bugs.  Why bees, anyway?”

“Because until recently, they defied explanation.”  He gestured to the wing.  “For a long time, scientists couldn’t figure out how a bee’s small, flimsy wings could support its comparatively large body in flight.  They did finally figure it out, but I thought it was fascinating that something as simple as the flight of a bee could turn out to be so complex.”

“You really are a giant dork, aren’t you?”  A bit of her usual attitude had crept back into her tone, but it had none of the bite that it usually did.  She returned her eyes to the carefully sculptured swarm, and continued to move around it, now studiously avoiding him.  

He grinned, recognizing it for the victory it was.  “So, did you want to go grab something to eat?”  

“Yeah, I guess we could do that.”  She straightened, and stepped away to allow him to return it to its closet.  

He locked up, and gestured for her to precede him to the door.  “To discuss the lecture today, right?”  

She shot a narrow-eyed look at him from over her shoulder.  “Of course. What else?”

He shut the lights of with a chuckle.


	4. Weddings, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Nathanael keep each other company at Ivan and Mylene's wedding reception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to this ask on Tumblr:  
> "How about a chlonath response to other weddings (ie djwifi, Adrienette, even Maylene and Ivan)? I could see her getting very worked up about others getting married when she isn't. I also see him being very amused by that."  
> AND this suggestion from maerynn:  
> “clonath preparing their wedding???“  
> BOTH of which were responses to my "Quick, someone ask me to write a ChloNath drabble, so I have an excuse to write one!!" on Tumblr this morning. I have no self control, apparently. Oh, and I chose to incorporate the "sometimes" prompt, because why not?

“This is gross.”  Chloe set down her empty champagne glass, scowling.

“Not everyone can afford  _Dom Perignon_ , Chlo.”

“Stupid tomato.”  She rolled her eyes.  “I wasn’t talking about the champagne, though now that you mention it, it is subpar.”

Nathanaël’s lips twitched in amusement.  “This is not gross, this is sweet.”

“They’re being nauseating again.”

“They’re newlyweds.  This is their wedding reception.  They’re supposed to be nauseating.”

“Why am I here?”

“Because you’re not actually the raging bitch you want everyone to think you are.”

“You’re such a pain sometimes.”  She picked up her champagne glass and scowled into it.  “Why is this still empty?  If I have to watch Ivan and Mylene hang all over one another, I’m not going to do it sober.”

Nathanaël plucked the glass from her hand and stood, snickering.  “Heaven forbid.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “Watch it, Kurtzberg.”


	5. The Gala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As an exhibiting artist, Nathanaël is stuck at the gala opening of the University Fine Art Gallery, and Chloe makes a surprise appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week, Day 4: Transformation/Rescue

“My my, Kurtzberg.”  Chloe sidled up next to him, a glass of chilled champagne in her hand, and made a show of looking him over.  “A tux, and not a paint splatter in sight?  That’s quite the transformation.” 

Nathanaël had turned to face her as soon as she’d started speaking, but his witty reply had died on his tongue, and how he felt as if he’d swallowed it.  She was wearing a form-fitting little black number with a low, draped neckline and narrow straps.  The narrow skirt reached to just below her knees.  Her hair had been swept into a graceful up-do, showing a great expanse of flawless skin.  An onyx and citrine necklace circled her throat, and matching earrings dripped from her lobes.   His gobsmacked gaze finally focused on her face, and he saw that her beautiful mouth was twisted into a smug smirk.  He found his tongue.   “Good evening, Chloe.  I didn’t—I didn’t realize that you’d be here. You, uh, you look lovely.”

 “I know I do.”  She paused for a sip of her champagne, and looked out over the crowded gallery.  “You clean up well, for a tomato head.”

Nathanaël chuckled, suddenly hating his tux a lot less now that he had just a few minutes ago.  “Be careful, Chloe.  If you keep paying me these compliments, I’m going to think that you like me.”

“Keep dreaming, Red,” she scoffed.

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t answer.  “So, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here with Daddy, making him look good.  What are you doing here?”

“I have six pieces in this exhibit.  I’m networking.”

“That sounds…spectacularly boring.”

“Oh, it is.”  He sighed, and finished his own glass of champagne.  “Honestly, this is the last place I want to be right now.  I hate dressing up like this, and I hate crowds.  But this is a great opportunity for me, and I’m trying to make the best of it.”

“Hmm.  How long have you been stuck here?”

He checked the time on his phone, and blew out a breath.  “Three hours, almost.”

She choked on her champagne.  “That’s it.”  She grabbed his arm and started towing him along behind her.

“Chloe!”  He hissed.  “What are you doing?”

“Rescuing you,” she hissed back.  While she was turned, she conveniently bumped into another guest, spilled champagne down the front of her dress, and started shrieking.

The man she'd bumped into regarded her with an embarrassed flush.  “Oh my goodness, young lady, I am so sorry!”

“Oh, no, really, it’s fine.  But I’m afraid I’ll have to leave, I can’t possibly stay in a wet dress.”  She turned to her father, and Nathanaël was startled to realize that Chloe had managed to bump into the very man that her father had just been schmoozing.  “Daddy, I wouldn’t dream of dragging you away from the gala early.  We only just got here, after all.  Kurtzberg can take me home.”

Nathanaël blinked. “I can?”

“Oh, uh, of course, sweetheart.”  Andre Bourgeois turned to Nathanaël and narrowed his eyes threateningly.  “Take good care of my little girl, young man, or you will answer to me.”

“Oh Daddy, don’t be so medieval.  We’ll be fine.”  She started to turn, then stopped and faced her father once again.  “Oh, and Daddy?  I want that moving bee sculpture for the hotel lobby.”

 Nathanaël felt his jaw drop.  “You do?”

“Yes, dear.  I’ll have it delivered as soon as this exhibit closes.”

“Thank you, Daddy! Ta!”

And with that, she slipped her arm through his, and not-to-subtly began to lead him out of the gallery, seemingly oblivious to the whispers that followed them.

“Close your mouth, Kurtzberg.”

“You want my bee sculpture?”

She shrugged carelessly.  “I like bees.”

He peered at her closely.  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He smiled.  “You did!  You bumped into that man on purpose, because he was talking to your father.  You planned that whole thing.”

She gave him a haughty glance.  “Now why would I go and do a thing like that?”

His smile grew to a grin, knowing that they both knew exactly why she’d done it.  “Thanks, Chlo.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

They stepped through the automatic doors at the front of the building, and into the balmy night air.  He slowed his steps and pulled her around to face him.  “You know I don’t have a car, right?”

She waved a hand and pulled her phone from the clutch at her wrist, and began dialing.  “We’ll take Daddy’s car.  The driver can drop us off, and come back for him.”

He smirked down at her.  “Us?”

She blushed, and looked away from him.  “Don’t be dense, Red.  You’re going back to your dorm, and I’m going back to the hotel.”

The driver picked up and she took a few steps away as she began rattling off instructions.  For the first time, Nathanaël noticed that the dress was entirely backless, not only revealing a great deal more skin, but a delicate bee tattoo as well.  It was low on her back and partially obscured by the dress, and he wondered how much more there was to the design.   He forced his eyes to the sky with a smile on his lips.


	6. Fidgety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Nathanael share a couple of firsts during class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week, Day 5: First Kiss/Holding Hands

Nathanael saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and saw Chloe rubbing the palm of her hand over her jeans. He returned his attention to their professor with a mental shrug.

A few minutes later, he saw the same jerky movement in his peripheral vision and looked again; this time, she scratched the side of her neck, her elbow brushing his sleeve. Frowning, he looked back to their teacher.

The third time, he was quick enough to catch the abortive move towards his hand, and he finally understood. She was trying to hold his hand! He felt his heart thump, and heat rise in his cheeks. It was one thing for her to seek him out, at the school or the gallery; friends do that sort of thing all the time. It was one thing for her to buy his sculpture; goodness knows, her father happily indulged her whims often enough. But for her to want physical contact, even something as simple as holding hands, was something else.

He leaned over to put his mouth by her ear. “Are you trying to hold my hand, Bee?”

She flushed. “Of course not! I’m just…fidgety today,” she whispered back. “And I told you not to call me that.”

“You like Bee just as much as I like Red.”

She darted a glance at him. “You like it when I call you Red?”

He smiled warmly. “I do. And you just confirmed that you like Bee.”

She looked away with a sniff. “Then I’ll have to quit calling you that.”

Nathanael studied her profile for a moment, and with his heart hammering in his chest, slowly reached out his hand to touch hers. She looked to their hands with a quietly in-drawn breath, but didn’t pull away. He slid his fingertips up the back of her hand, between her knuckles, and threaded them between hers to curl them against her palm. Her eyes flicked to his, her mouth open in a small O.

Still holding her eyes, he bent his elbow and lifted their joined hands, gently tilting their wrists back to expose her palm, and pressed a kiss to the center. She gasped again, and he felt his lips tip upward in an uncertain smile.

She didn’t return his smile. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, she blinked, and then she looked back toward the front of the auditorium.

Nathanael frowned, returned her hand to its place, and released her. Had he misread her?

But then she grabbed his hand, palm to palm, and twined their fingers together.

His heart thumped again, but he spent the rest of the class with his hand in hers, and a smile on his face.


	7. Weddings, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe needs a bit of encouragement to finish getting ready for Nino & Alya's wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to this ask on Tumblr:  
> "How about a chlonath response to other weddings (ie djwifi, Adrienette, even Maylene and Ivan)? I could see her getting very worked up about others getting married when she isn't. I also see him being very amused by that."  
> AND this suggestion from maerynn:  
> “clonath preparing their wedding???“  
> BOTH of which were responses to my "Quick, someone ask me to write a ChloNath drabble, so I have an excuse to write one!!" on Tumblr this morning. I have no self control, apparently. Oh, and I chose to incorporate the "sometimes" prompt, because why not?

“Chloe, why aren’t you dressed?”

“I’m not going.”  She walked away from the door without bothering to invite him in.

He came in anyway, closing the door behind him.  “Of course you are.  You’ve already done your hair and makeup.  There’s no way you’d let that go to waste.”

“I’ll go somewhere else.”  She put a perfectly manicured hand to her flawless coiffure with a sniff.  “This effort would be wasted on them, anyway.”

“Too bad, Chlo.”  He tugged her up from her couch, grinning.  “Come on, get dressed.  It’s time to go mingle with the commoners.”  He put a hand to the small of her back and gently pushed her towards her room.  She went, grudgingly.

“Ugh, gross.  Why do you keep dragging me to these things, Kurtzberg?”

“Because I love to torture you.”  He leaned an arm on the door frame, and smiled down into her beautiful, scowling face.  “And because I know you secretly want to go.”

She slammed the door on him, and he jerked back with a laugh.  

Chloe emerged a few minutes later in a lemon yellow cocktail dress, tucking her cell phone into a small white clutch and grumbling about interfering tomatoes, and Nathanaël allowed his gaze to rake over her appreciatively.

“You look lovely, Chloe.”

“I always look lovely, Kurtzberg ,” she shot back, but a blush darkened her cheekbones and she couldn’t look him in the eye.  She huffed.  “You do know that Alya and Nino are going to be even more gross than Ivan and Mylene were, don’t you?”

He grinned at her, amused and not at all fooled by her bluster.  “I have a whole bottle of champagne in the car, just for you.  It’s yours, if you can make it through the ceremony.”

“Of course I can make it through the ceremony,” she scoffed, snatching her wrap from the back of a chair.  “And the reception, too.  Keep your champagne, Kurtzberg.”

He hid a grin behind his hand, and followed her out the door.


	8. Vulnerable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their relationship finally starts to progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week Day 6: I hate that I love you. (I ignored the "I love that I hate you" portion of the prompt.)

“Hello, beautiful.”  Nathanael smiled as Chloe flounced into the shared living area of his dorm, slung her bag onto the couch, and sat with a huff.  He tossed his books to the scarred coffee table, and pulled her booted feet into his lap.  “What’s got your wings in a twist today?”

She glared at him.  “Stop it.”

His smile faded as he looked at her, bewildered, and his hands paused at the zipper on her boot.  “Stop what?  I haven’t had a chance to do anything to piss you off yet.”  He pulled the boot from her foot and set it on the floor. “Have I?”

She rolled her eyes, and gestured towards him, as he eased her other boot from her foot and began to gently massage the arch.  “That!  Stop being so…so lovable!”

He blinked, and his hands stilled.  “I’m lovable?”

Chloe glared at him again, and sank back against the armrest with her arms crossed over her chest.  “You know you are,” she grumbled.

He grinned, and switched to her other foot.  “Well, I do, but only in the general sense.  I didn’t know that  _you_  think I’m lovable.”

“Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head, Red.”

“Do you know what, Bee?”  She looked at him, her brow raised, and he leaned towards her as if he were about to impart a secret.  “I think you’re lovable, too.”

“Ugh!”  She pulled her feet from him and stood.  “See?  That’s what I’m talking about.  You can’t keep doing that.  How can I keep you at arm’s length when you do that?”

He rose as well, and moved to stand directly in front of her, wondering if he should push her.  She glared at his chest, but he put a bent finger beneath her chin, and tipped her face up to meet his eyes.  “Why do you want to keep me at arm’s length, Chloe?”  He asked, his voice low and his pulse racing.

She moistened her lips, but said nothing.

He gulped, knowing that once said, these things could not be unsaid.  “What if I said that I want us to be closer?”

Her lips parted on a soft gasp.  “I’d—I’d tell you to dream on.”

He stepped closer, and rested his other hand on her hip.  “What if I told you that I do dream about you?  About us?”

“Then I’d—I’d—” She cut herself off, and licked her lips again.  “You do?  Really?”

“Yeah, I do.”  He pulled her closer still, until their bodies were separated by nothing but their clothing.  He studied her eyes, weighing the tenderness there against the words he wanted to say.  He took a deep breath, and forged ahead.  “I think I love you, Chloe.”

Her eyes widened, and then she squeezed them shut and dropped her forehead against his chest.  “I love you too, Red.  And I hate it.”

He felt her whispered words like blows, feeling both joy and despair slip through him.  He leaned his cheek on her head, and began rubbing her back.  “Why?”

“Because love makes you vulnerable.  I hate to be vulnerable.  I hate that I love you—”

“Chloe—”

“—because it gives you the power to hurt me.”

He closed his eyes, hurting  _for_  her.  What had her life been, to have taught her to view love as a weakness?  He stepped back, his hands on her shoulders, and peered into her face.  “We have the power to hurt  _each other_.”

She blanched.  “No!  I don’t want it.”

“I love you, Chloe.”  He shrugged, letting his hands fall.  “I—I don’t expect anything from you.  I’d like to see where this goes, to see what we could be, but if all you ever want from me is to be friends, I can—I can do that.  I won’t push you.”

“Damnit, Nathanael.  Damn you for making me  _want_  things!”  She glared at him, holding her body rigid as she warred with herself.  He saw it, the moment that she gave in to herself, and she saw his eyes widen in understanding.  She surged forward and he met her, their arms going around one another and their lips crashing together with the intensity of a kiss too long denied.  

“Merde,” she breathed, sometime later.  “Why did we wait so long to do that?”


	9. Weddings, Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe gripes about being in Adrien's wedding.

“It’s not enough for him to make me be here.  Oh no, he had to make me a part of the damn thing!”  Chloe peeked out of the small room to the side of the vestibule, and glared at the people filling the church.  “He hates me, doesn’t he?”

Nathanaël’s lips curled into a smile. “No, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t hate you.”

“Then why would he  _do_  this to me?”  She threw herself into his arms on a wail.  “Adrien knows I hate these things.  I can’t just duck out when I’m a member of the bridal party.”

He shook with suppressed laughter.  “I am too, don’t forget.  And we’ll be seated together at the reception.”

“It’s the only reason I agreed to this nonsense, really.”

“Mm-hmm.”  He tipped her chin up and kissed her languidly.  “The fact that he’s your oldest friend had nothing to do with it.”

She scowled, both because he was right, and because he’d stopped kissing her to speak.  “Shut up and kiss me, Kurtzberg.”

He grinned against her mouth, and kissed her again, more briefly.  “So is this why you dragged me in here?”  He nipped at her lip, then soothed it with another kiss.  “We can’t get carried away.  It’s going to start soon, and I’d hate to muss your hair.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”  She pulled away and returned to the door, frowning when she saw that the bridal party was gathering in the vestibule.  “Shit. I think we need to get out there. This isn’t going to be as long as the last one was, right?”

“No idea,” he said cheerfully.  “Come on, let’s go get in line.”

“You’re lucky I love you.  You and Adrien, both.”

He grinned at her back, thinking much the same thing.


	10. What If

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nath has been pondering the possibilities of alternate realities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChloNath Week Day 7: Alternate Universe.

“Have you ever thought about what your life might be like in an alternate universe?”

Chloe pushed herself up onto an elbow to stare blankly at Nathanael.

“What?  It’s fascinating.  The possibilities are endless.”

“Your post-coital train of thought is ever entertaining,” she said dryly.  Then she lowered her head back to his shoulder, squirming until she was once more tucked comfortably against his side.  His thumb resumed making lazy circles on her hip, and she sighed happily.   “I can only assume that you’ve been thinking about alternate universes.”

“Mmm.  I could be the spoiled child of the Mayor, and you could be the awkward artist,” he teased.

She slapped his chest, but without force.  “Bite your tongue, Tomato.”

“I like the idea of us being super heroes.  There has to be one like that!  You could be…Queen Bee, and fly around saving Paris in a magical super suit.”

“Yeah, along with my ladybug, cat and fox partners.”  She snorted at the absurdity of it.   “You’re ridiculous.  Would you be a hero, too?”

“Of course!  I’d be a…a peacock hero.”

“A  _peacock_?  Yeah, right.”  She scoffed.  “You’re not vain  _or_  flamboyant, and you lack flair.”

“Maybe.  But I am sinfully handsome, and the costume would match my eyes.”

“I take it back, you  _are_  vain,” she deadpanned.

He chuckled.  “Maybe there’s one where our genders are flipped.  I’d be Nathalie, and you’d be…uh, Cole.”

Chloe giggled in spite of herself.  “Or one where we’re both girls?”

“That could be interesting.”

“Only if we were both bi or lesbian.”

He laughed.  “I can’t imagine a world in which I wouldn’t love you, regardless.”

“Oh, shut up, you dork, and kiss me.”

He rolled over her with a wolfish grin.  “As you wish, Queen Bee.”


	11. Proposal (Weddings, Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathanael has a question for Chloe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in response to this ask on Tumblr:  
> "How about a chlonath response to other weddings (ie djwifi, Adrienette, even Maylene and Ivan)? I could see her getting very worked up about others getting married when she isn't. I also see him being very amused by that."  
> AND this suggestion from maerynn:  
> “clonath preparing their wedding???“  
> BOTH of which were responses to my "Quick, someone ask me to write a ChloNath drabble, so I have an excuse to write one!!" on Tumblr this morning. I have no self control, apparently. Oh, and I chose to incorporate the "sometimes" prompt, because why not?

“Hey, Chlo?”  

She glanced up at him as they meandered along the Seine, and wondered at the strange quality of his voice.  She raised her brows expectantly.

“Will you let me drag you to another wedding?”

She groaned.  “Another one? Who the hell is getting married this time, Alix and Kim? I thought they eloped!”

He stopped walking and caught at her hand, turning her to face him.  “I was hoping it would be ours.”  She gaped at him as he dropped to one knee, there in the middle of the sidewalk, and produced a small polished wood box from his pocket.  He opened it to reveal a beautiful, yet understated ring in a bed of black velvet.  A flawless yellow cushion-cut diamond sat perched in the center of a white gold ring, flanked by two, smaller, equally flawless trapezoid white diamonds.  It wasn’t large or flashy, but it was from  _him_  and it was  _perfect_.  

“This isn’t the ring you deserve, but it’s yours—along with my heart.  I love you, Chloe.  Will you marry me?”

She looked from the ring to his anxious face, and put a hand to his cheek.  “Oh, you stupid tomato.  Of course I will marry you.”

“Oh, thank god!”  He surged to his feet and captured her mouth in a hungry kiss, almost forgetting the box he still held in his shaking hand.  

She pushed him back, and held her left hand out to him, wiggling her fingers excitedly.  “Aren’t you forgetting something, Kurtzberg?  I want my ring!”


	12. Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe worries that Nath will get cold feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by Nonny on Tumblr: _Do we get to see the ChloNath wedding?_

"You know, I never would have pegged Chloe as the kind of girl who would want a small wedding," Marinette said, looking around the small sea-side gazebo, and the yellow and white flowers that decorated it.  

Adrien shot his wife a sidelong glance, and smiled. "No?"

Alya shook her head.  "Me either.  I'd have bet money that she'd want to go as over-the-top as possible, complete with a media circus to document Her Day for the masses."

"I didn't see it coming either, but Nath did," Nino added, nodding to where Nathanael stood, chatting with the woman who would be officiating their small ceremony. "He said that she hates big weddings."

Adrien laughed.  "I wasn't surprised either. Fifteen-year-old Chlo might've gone for the whole shebang, but Nath has grounded her somewhat.  She doesn't want their relationship in the public eye."

Marinette nodded thoughtfully, her brows raised.  "I definitely get that."

Adrien winced, remembering the horde of reporters that had been lurking outside the church after his own wedding.  He stifled the apology that sprang to his lips, and thought again of his oldest friend.  "She probably wants to lord it over all of us that her wedding was the easiest and least demanding of any of ours.  I'm not sure I'd say that she  _hates_  weddings, but she was definitely pretty vocal at our weddings, about the hoopla being a waste of time."

The others all laughed in agreement.  

"That's putting it mildly," Alya said wryly.  "I figured she only hated it because she wasn't the center of attention, and now I feel a little guilty for thinking it."

Adrien laughed again.   "Don't feel too guilty, because I'm sure that was a part of it.  Chloe hasn't changed  _that_  much.  But yeah, there was definitely more to it than that."

 

* * *

Chloe smoothed the skirt of her pale yellow dress in an uncharacteristically nervous manner as she surveyed herself in the mirror, though it wasn't her reflection that worried her.

She looked good, and she knew it.  Her dress was a Dupain-Cheng original, so _of course_ it was gorgeous.  Chloe had chosen to buck tradition and expectations all over the place when it came to her wedding, and her dress was no exception.  It was a beach wedding, so in lieu of the traditional long white gown, she'd elected to go with a narrow tea-length gown in soft, buttery yellow.  Marinette had made it herself from a supple silk charmeuse that hugged her lithe body flawlessly.  The sleeveless bodice was a deceptively simple cross-over, with narrow straps that sat wide on her shoulders.  Marinette had even stitched delicate crystal beads in the same yellow as the dress in a subtle floral pattern that was densest at the top and gradually dissipated toward the bottom, making the dress sparkle when she moved.  She had crystals of the same color woven into her hair, which had been swept up into an artfully messy bun, and made into the jewelry that she wore at her ears, throat, and wrist.  Her makeup was subtle, emphasizing her natural beauty, and she wore sandals that had been tastefully embellished with more of the yellow crystals.

Overall, her look was understated and elegant, and flawlessly tailored to her.  

She looked  _perfect_.

She fingered the ring he'd given her, and sighed.  Normally, that perfection would have bolstered her confidence to the point of invincibility--but not today.  Today, she was going to meet Nath in that pretty little gazebo, and promise to love him forever.  And she would love him forever, she knew that she would.  But...what if he suddenly realized that she wasn't perfect after all?  What if he finally came to his senses, and realized that he could never manage to put up with her, 'forever and ever amen'?   What if--

"Chlo?  Are you--oh,  _wow_."

"Nath?!  What are you doing in here?"  She hissed at her fiancee as he slipped into the room with an expression of wonder.  "You're not supposed to be in here!"

He blinked, and shrugged sheepishly.   "I know, but Adrien thought it might be a good idea for me to come and check on you."

"Hmph."  She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose into the air petulantly, facing away from him.  "I'm fine, Kurtzberg.  You ruined my First Look photos for nothing."

"No, I didn't.  I promise you, I will be just as amazed when I see you again ten minutes from now as I am now."  He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder, and then breathed in her scent.  "I'm amazed anew every day, to know that you're mine."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me," she sighed and tilted her head to the side, allowing him easier access as he kissed her neck.  "You're cheating."

He chuckled, and turned her around to face him.  "No I'm not.  I'm only telling you the truth."  He kissed her gently, lingering only a moment before pulling back to smile down into her face.  "I love you, Chloe Bourgeois."

She smiled back, her gaze soft as she brushed a loose lock of his red hair out of his eyes.  "I love you, too, Nath."  

"I'll see you out there," he whispered, slipping out of the room and taking all of her anxiety with him.

She turned back to the mirror with the smile still on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't currently plan to continue this, but you never know. If I write another drabble that fits the story line, I'll add it!


	13. In the Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our newlyweds share a shower after a rough day, to help one another unwind. (Follows chronologically after chapter 12, when they've been married for only a few months.) **Content warning: this one deserves a mature rating!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Here is my entry for Smutember Challenge Day 6: Shower Sex. It's not quite explicit, but it is definitely on the far end of the "mature" spectrum, so if you don't want to see Chloe and Nathanael getting handsy in the shower, then you should skip this one.

Nathanael let himself into the apartment, and saw immediately that Chloe had gotten there before him.  Her keys and purse had been dropped on the console table by the door, her shoes had been kicked off only a few steps into the living room, and from there she’d left a haphazard trail of clothing leading towards their room, and the bathroom suite beyond. Even better, he could hear that the shower was still running.

He grinned. A bad day required pampering, and for Chloe Kurgeois, pampering always began with a nice long shower.  Clearly, it had been one of _those_ days for her, too, and he knew just how he wanted to cheer her up.

And, you know, if it happened to work for him, too, well.  He’d never claimed to be entirely selfless.

He did take the time to drop his keys in the dish on the console table, and to leave his shoes neatly in the tray beneath it, but after that he was striding for their bedroom, shedding clothing almost as carelessly as she had.  He paused in their room long enough to shuck his socks and boxers, then knocked on the half-closed bathroom door before pushing it open.

“Hey, Chlo.  Mind if I join you?”

“Red!  Yes, please do.  I was hoping that you’d get home in time to do just that.”

Nathanael grinned again.  It had been too long since they’d done this.  He slid back the shower door and stepped in as quickly as he could, knowing that his new wife hated it when he took too long to get it closed again, and let in too much cold air.

She was standing beneath the water with her head tilted back and eyes closed, rinsing shampoo from her hair.  Her raised arm lifted her breasts, too, and she looked so breathtakingly lovely with the water and soap sluicing over her in the warm light that it almost hurt not to capture her on paper—or to ravish her mid-shower.    “Hello beautiful,” he murmured, mentally putting a bridle on his lust, and dipping his head for a kiss.

“Mmm, hello yourself, Red.”  She opened her eyes to smile up at him, and then promptly frowned.  “Why do you have paint in your hair?”

“Wha--?  Oh, that.  I was trying to squeeze the last bit of paint out of a tube, but there was more left than I realized.  It ended up all over my hands, and—”

“And of course your hair was falling in your face,” she finished for him, smiling fondly.  “I keep telling you to clip your bangs back before you put it into the top knot.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Here, turn around and I’ll put the conditioner in your hair.”

She followed his gentle instructions wordlessly, and hummed happily as his fingers began to work the product through her hair, massaging her scalp far more than was strictly necessary. 

“So, what happened today, that had you stripping as soon as you walked through the door?”

“Ugghhh,” she groaned, sagging dramatically.  “My _Sebastien_ interview got cancelled at the last minute this morning, and Alya was having absolute kittens that we wouldn’t have anything for this month’s fashion spread.  I had to scramble to arrange something else, and you _know_ how I feel about _scrambling_.”

Nathanael chuckled sympathetically, and began twisting her hair into a loose knot so that he could clip it up out of the way.  “Isn’t this the second time they’ve done this to you?”

“ _Yes_!  I swear, that fashion house is so disorganized; it’s a wonder that they ever have anything to show.”  She lifted the hand shower from its cradle, and turned back to face him.  “On your knees, love, it’s your turn.”

He obeyed with a laugh.  “Ooh, I love it when you order me around like that.”

“Down boy.  We’ll get there.”  She wet his hair thoroughly, and began to soap his hair as she resumed speaking. “Anyway, give me a _Gabriel_ event any day.  Adrien’s dad might be an ass, but at least he keeps his professional appointments and ensures that all of his staff does, as well.” 

“If only he could show the same dedication in his personal relationships,” he quipped, feeling a pang for Adrien.

“Yes, well, as I said, Gabriel is an ass.”  She began to scrub a bit more aggressively at his hair, and Nathanael winced.  “Good Lord, Red, just how much paint was in that tube?”

He grimaced.  “Uh, a lot more than I thought?” 

“You really need to be more careful,” she huffed, rinsing away the shampoo. “That paint is awful for your hair, and it’s too pretty for you to ruin it with your carelessness.”

“Yes, my Queen,” he said dutifully, and she slapped his shoulder, giggling.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You love me.”

“I do,” she sighed. “I really do.”  She squeezed some of the conditioner into her hand, and began working that through his hair.

Before she was quite done with him, he reached for her loofah and her scented body-wash, and began working it into a rich lather.  As she continued to play with his wet hair, massaging his scalp and letting the soft, conditioner-slick strands slide through her fingers, he began to soap her body, using both the loofah and his empty hand stroke over her skin.

His hands lingered over her curves, mapping out the topography of her body as if he didn’t already know it by heart, and felt his banked desire flare.  Her hands slid from his hair and she sighed happily, content to let him care for her.  When he’d thoroughly soaped her lower half, he stood and bathed the rest of her body, taking the same care with her back and arms that he’d shown to her belly and legs.  Only then did he drop the loofah and run his bare hands over her, claiming her lips as he teased her nipples with still-slick fingers. 

“God, you’re impatient,” she gasped, arching into his hands.

“Can you blame me?” He asked, grinning against her lips as he ran his hands down and around her body to grab her ass and pull her hard against him.  “With all of this under my hands?”

She laughed throatily.  “Well, Mr. Kurgeois, you’re just going to have to wait, because I still want to get my hands on all of _that_.”

She rescued the fallen loofah and added a bit more soap, then bathed him from head to foot with just as much attention as he’d lavished on her.  He shivered beneath her hands when they brushed close to his now rampant erection, in spite of the heat of the shower and the steam billowing through the room, but she purposefully did no more than brush it until she’d cleaned everything else.

“Tease,” he muttered, jumping when the loofah grazed his balls for the fourth time.

“You love me,” she said, looking up at him impishly from her knees, throwing his own words back at him as she dropped the loofah and finally, _finally_ closed her hand around his cock.

“Oh God, yes,” he gasped, throwing his head back.  She began to pump her hand slowly up and down his length while simultaneously palming his sac with her other hand, and he shuddered.  “Fuck that feels good.”

“Hmm.  What do you say we get rinsed off, and move this to the bed?”

He looked down at her with heated eyes. “I’d say that I love the way you think.”

“And why wouldn’t you?  My ideas are always good.” She smiled like the siren she was, and stood, rubbing the front of her body tantalizingly along his as she rose, and then pulled his head down for a drugging kiss.  They broke apart after several long, heated minutes and Nathanael pushed her back under the spray of water from the wall-mounted shower head.

“Chlo, if you keep kissing me like that,” he panted, fetching the hand-shower for himself, “then I am going to just lift you up and fuck you against the wall of the shower.”

She smirked, rinsing both the conditioner from her hair and the soap from her body and watching as he did the same.  “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Red.”

“After the day I’ve had, love, I’m going to need a lot more than a quick fuck in the shower to unwind.”

“Oh, my poor tomato.”  She squeezed the excess water from her hair, and wrapped herself around her husband, purposefully allowing his cock to slide between her thighs and smirking again at his gasp.  “Who says you can’t have both?”


	14. Nath App Week Day 1: Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter begins an entirely new story arc for Nathaniel Appreciation Week. Like the last series (from ChloNath Week) these 7 drabbles will tell a cohesive story, beginning with this short exchange between Nathaniel and Sabrina. This takes place in their _terminale_ year, so they're all 17/18 here. Sebastien is just another student who is in that class with them.

Nathaniel sat slumped in the back of the room, his eyes darting between his sketchbook and his classmate with a scowl.  Nino and Adrien were talking to Sebastien at the front of the room as they waited for their teacher to arrive.  He was trying to capture the relaxed, easy way that Nino stood, his expression open and laughing, but his drawing was somehow off.  The problem wasn’t immediately obvious.  It was easily recognizable as Nino, but it wasn’t right and for the life of him, Nathaniel couldn’t figure out where the problem was.

“Ugh.”  He ripped the page from his book and crumpled it, then dropped it into his bag to throw it away later.

“Why did you do that?” Nathaniel jumped, and looked up to see that Sabrina stood at his shoulder, looking at him in apparent confusion. “That was really good.”

“Oh, um, it was alright, I guess.  But it wasn’t…”  He frowned, at a loss for how to explain himself.  “I just wasn’t happy with it.  What are you doing back here, anyway?”

Sabrina shrugged.  “Chloe isn’t here yet, and I was curious, wondering what you were working on so diligently.”  Then she bent, and pilfered the crumpled paper from his bag.  “This really is good, Nath.  I bet that if you showed it to Nino, he’d be flattered.”

Nathaniel felt his cheeks go hot and ducked his head even as he tried to snatch the paper away from her. “No way.  Give it back!”

She flipped it over, and her brows rose.  “Wow. This is…this is amazing, Nathaniel. And you were going to throw this away, as well?”

“It’s nothing, Sabrina!” Angry now, as well as embarrassed, he made another grab for it and this time managed to get it away from her.  “Just a dumb doodle.”

“You managed to get Chloe’s confidence, without showing the nastiness that you and I both know is sometimes there,” she said quietly.  “Your art is more than just graphite on paper, Nath.  It’s your ability to see and capture the best in someone, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.  Especially when that someone has trouble seeing the best in herself.”  She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.  “I think that you should give it to her, but wither way, it’s far too good to go in the trash.”  She turned then, and made her way to the front of the room, where Chloe stood tapping her foot impatiently.

Nathaniel stared after her, wondering what the hell had just happened.  Then he opened his clutched fist, smoothed out the crumpled paper, and wondered whether she was right.


	15. Day 2: Hero/Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel engages in a bit of introspection.

Nathaniel found himself thinking about Sabrina’s words a lot over the next several days.  He flipped back through his sketchbook over lunch that day, looking at his drawings through new eyes and comparing them to what he saw in his parents and friends and classmates.  That night, he dug out past sketchbooks, and did the same thing.  He was astonished to see that for the most part, Sabrina was right.

How had he missed that, about his own work?  How had she _seen_ it?  He was a private person, and didn’t often share his work.  When— _oh_.  He remembered now.

Chloe had stolen his sketchbook a few years back, so of course Sabrina had seen it.  Chloe had made a show of going through it during lunch, laughing at hi drawings, then took it home with her and refused to return it until Adrien caught wind of the situation.   He stepped in and insisted she both return the book and apologize for taking it in the first place, and at the time, Nathaniel hadn’t been sure which had been more humiliating: the initial theft and bashing of his work, or the forced apology that came with its return. 

Adrien had marched her up to his desk at the back of the room, crossed his arms, and glared at her until she caved with a stamp of her foot and an angry scoff, which of course drew the attention of everyone in the room.

“Oh, fine.”  Uncaring of the audience she’d attracted, her glare had shifted from the stony-faced boy beside her to Nathaniel, and he’d shrank back in his seat while hating himself for the show of cowardice.  “I’m sorry I took your stupid book and said mean things about all your stupid drawings.  You can have it back now.”  She slammed the book down on his desk with a _thwack_ , making him jump.  He’d merely nodded, and she’d turned haughtily back to Adrien wither arms crossed.  “There, Adrikins, are you happy now?”

Adrien had cast him an apologetic glance, knowing that Chloe’s apology had left much to be desired but also knowing that they’d not get a better one from her, and had nodded with a sigh before following Chloe back to the front of the room.

Adrien had played the hero to Chloe’s villain, and Nathaniel had been grateful, but he’d have much preferred it if the other boy had simply stolen the book back from her and returned it quietly.  Even now, his cheeks heated in remembered humiliation.

He shook his head, dispelling the memory, and smoothed the crumpled drawing of Chloe out on his desk.  Sabrina was right about the drawing, too.  He’d somehow seen and drawn the very best in Chloe, without even realizing he’d done it, and this discovery brought with it another. 

Chloe had changed.


	16. Day 3: Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel is observant, and then decides to take a risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm cheating, and writing the prompts out of order again. I'm a rebel like that. 'Favorite Ship' will appear on Thursday; today, you get to read about friendship.

Nathaniel kept one eye on Chloe for the rest of the day, noting her interactions with their teachers as well as with other students.  She didn’t go out of her way to be kind, but she didn’t go out of her way to be cruel either.  Nor did she take advantage of opportunities when they arose—even when Marinette bumped into her, and caused her to spill iced coffee on her sweater. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she sighed in response to Marinette’s automatic apology, grimacing at the stain.  Then she looked at Marinette with a grin. “You just gave me an excuse to buy a new one.”

Marinette’s expression relaxed into one of relief, and then envy.  “Lucky.  Gabriel’s new line is to die for!”

Chloe brightened, and nodded.  “I know! I have the whole Ladybug series on order, and now I’m going to get the Queen Bee cardigan as well.”

They fell into step with one another, and began moving toward the door as they chatted.  “The whole line is just gorgeous, but my favorite series is the Chat Noir.  The lines on that jacket are just incredible…”

Nathaniel stared after them in shock as their voices faded into the general noise of changing classes.  He knew that the two girls had called a truce last year, at Adrien’s urging, but for the most part they’d pretty much just avoided each other—or so he thought.  Apparently, though, they’d moved beyond a mere truce and become…friends?

Sabrina stepped up next to him, and urged his jaw closed with a knowing look and a finger beneath his chin.  Then she, too, was gone, swept away in the tide of the shifting student body.

 

* * *

 

That night, with his homework finished and his school bag packed for the next day, Nathaniel knew that he ought to go to bed.  It was already pretty late, and he did have school the next day.  But…his fingertips were itching with the urge to draw Chloe and Marinette as he’d seen them that afternoon, animatedly discussion fashion.  Going to bed now would be pointless; he knew he’d never get to sleep until he got it out of his system.  So, instead of crawling beneath his sheets, he pulled his sketch book from his bag and began to draw.

Sometime after one, he put his pencil down and studied his drawing critically.  Unlike most of the things in this book, this was not a quickly sketched doodle.  It was a fully rendered drawing of the girls, leaning in toward one another and smiling.  Marinette’s face was only partially visible, because of the perspective from which he’d seen them, but Chloe’s face could be seen in full, her eyes shining and brows raised expressively as she spoke.  He’d needed to use a reference photo of her to help him with the details, but it had been surprisingly easy to capture just what he’d wanted on the page.

The question now was what to do with it.  Should he allow it to languish in his sketchbook, as he normally did?  Or should he give it to one of the girls, as Sabrina had suggested he ought to do with his work? 

He blew out a breath, fished an Xacto knife from his messy desk drawer, and carefully cut the page free of the book without allowing himself to consider why he was doing it or who he intended to give it to. 


	17. Day 4: Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe receives a gift.

That picture was burning a hole in Nathaniel’s bag, and had been since he walked into the school that morning.  He wanted to give it to Chloe—had always meant it for Chloe, though he refused to admit it even to himself—but she’d been surrounded by her usual coterie of friends all day.  He was hardly prepared to approach her; there was no way he could give it to her in front of any one.

He’d hoped to have an opportunity at lunch, or between classes, but none arose.  Frustrated, he finally decided to simply leave it on her desk in their last class.  He was always one of the first to arrive in the classroom, so he could leave it there and proceed to his own desk without embarrassing himself.  It was the perfect way to do it, and it worked out just the way he wanted to.

At least until she walked through the door, saw the paper, and reached for it.  Then, when it was too late to take it back, it hit him that she might misconstrue the gesture.  He watched her pick it up, saw her eyes widen and her skin flush as she examined it, met her eyes when she looked up at him in question, and he felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment.  Damnit, why had he listened to Sabrina anyway?  It was a ridiculous thing to do, and he couldn’t image now what had possessed him to do it.

He sank down in his seat, and prayed that their teacher would not be late.

 

* * *

 

For once, luck was with Nathaniel.  Not only had their teacher been prompt, she’d kept them so busy that the class had passed quickly.  All he had to do now was to hope that Chloe would be swept along with her friends as soon as their teacher dismissed them, like she usually was.  Then he’d be free to make his leisurely way out without needing to worry about running into her.

Unfortunately, that was when his luck ran out. 

Not only did Chloe not leave with her friends, but she actually sent them on without her and cornered him in the back of the classroom before he even had a chance to repack his bag.

“Red,” she said by way of greeting.  He snapped up in his seat and stared at her like a deer caught in the head lights.  She rolled her eyes.  “You needn’t look so panicked.  I’m not going to bite you.”

“R-right.”  He finished shoving his things into his bag and stood, so that he was at least not staring up at her.  “So, what’s up?”

Now, she was looking up at him, and she blinked in surprise.  “When did you get so tall?”

“Um…?”

“Never mind,” she said, waving her hand, “it’s not important.  I just wanted to know, did you draw that picture?”

Nathaniel felt himself go red, and wished that he could just sink through the floor.  He settled for just looking at the floor.  “Uh, yeah?”

“And, you’re giving it to me?”

He nodded, staring at her shoes without seeing them.  “If you want it.”

“Why?”

She sounded so genuinely bewildered that he finally looked up, and met her blue, blue eyes.  “Because it’s yours.”

“No, I mean, why did you draw it?  You’ve never drawn me before.”  She was blushing now, obviously remembering the time that she’d stolen his book.

But he was blushing again, too, right to the very tips of his ears because he _had_ drawn her before.  He’d drawn all of his classmates and teachers at one time or another, but the truth was that she graced his page more often than any of the others. 

It hadn’t always been like that, of course.  He couldn’t remember the first time he’d sketched her likeness any more than he could remember the first time he’d sketched anyone else.  And he hadn’t been aware of it, when she’d slowly begun to take up more and more room in his sketchbook.  He hadn’t actually been aware of it at all until right at that very moment, when her words drew it to his attention.  He swallowed nervously, and her eyes widened.

“Have you?”

“I draw everyone,” he said evasively.  “And Sabrina said that I ought to give them to people, that they might like it.”

Chloe’s brows had risen at the mention of her best friend.  “She told you that?  And you decided to start with me?”

Nathaniel shrugged uncomfortably, then pointed at the page held carefully between her fingers.  “That was the next one I did.”

“Oh,” she said, lifting the page to study it again.  “Well, it’s beautiful.  No one has ever given me something like this before.”  She shifted her attention back to him, and beamed.  “Thanks, Red!”

Then she was leaving, jogging across the room toward the door, where Nathaniel realized Sabrina was waiting for her friend.

Nathaniel met Sabrina's gaze from across the room, and she winked.


	18. Day 5: Favorite Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe joins Nathaniel for lunch, and they chat about everyone's favorite ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here! Have tomorrow's post today!

Chloe dropped into the seat next to him, placed her take-out box on the table, and then leaned over to peer at what he was working on.  “They make a beautiful couple, don’t they?”

Nathaniel jumped, and stared at her in surprise.  She was going to spend her lunch break with _him_?  He looked around and saw Sabrina chatting with Sebastien and Kim a few tables away.  He looked back at his new table mate.  “Um, hi?”

She shot him an amused glance as she pulled a gyro from the take-out box.  “Hey, Red.  I guess you saw the update on the LadyBlog this morning, too?”

He nodded.  Someone had finally gotten a picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir locking lips, confirming what everyone had long suspected, and of course they sent it straight to the LadyBlogger.  By that point, everyone in Paris had seen that picture.

Chloe pulled the book closer and sighed happily.  “My ship has finally sailed,” she said when her mouth was empty.

Nathaniel tugged it back and resumed sketching.  “You sound like Alya.”

“Bite your tongue,” she snapped, but her eyes were smiling.  She gestured to the page with her gyro.  “Are you going to try to give it to them?”

“I don’t know.”  He lifted his pencil and sat back, looking at the unfinished drawing, then looked at Chloe.  “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“If you get the chance, I think you should.  I loved mine, and I know that Mylene and Anna both really appreciated theirs as well.”

He looked back at the page.  “Maybe I will.” 

Nathaniel went back to drawing, and she ate quietly for several minutes, just watching him work.  It felt strange, to have someone watching him like that, but he kind of enjoyed the company.  Would she do this again, he wondered?  Or was he and his art a novelty that she would get bored with?  That was the most likely explanation.  There was no way the most popular girl in the school was interested in being friends with him.  To think otherwise was—

“Hey, Nathaniel?”

He blinked at his drawing, then looked up at her.  She never used his actual name.  And…was she blushing?   “Yeah?”

“Would you want to go see a movie or something sometime?  With me?”

“You—are you asking me out?”

“Yes?”

“ _You_ want to go out with _me_ ,” he asked incredulously, then clarified, “on a _date_?”

Her expression fell, and she nibbled her lower lip.  “I guess…I guess you still haven’t forgiven me for, you know, before.”

“No!”

“I don’t blame you,” she sighed.  “I was…pretty awful.”

“No, Chloe!” He turned to face her more directly, waving both hands at her to back up.  “That’s not what I—I mean, you kinda were? But that’s not what I meant.  I just don’t get why you would want to waste your time with me, all of a sudden.  I’m still the dorky quiet kid who draws too much, and you’re still the most beautiful girl in the school.”  They both widened their eyes and flushed at that, and Nathaniel snapped his mouth closed.  “I—I mean—”

“You think I’m beautiful?”

Nathaniel ducked his head, hiding his expression behind his hair.  “Chloe, everyone thinks you’re beautiful,” he muttered.  “ _You_ think you’re beautiful.”

“But I don’t care about everyone.  I’m interested in what you think.”  At his bewildered look, she laughed self-deprecatingly and began anxiously twisting her hands in her lap.  “Nathaniel, I’ve always liked you.  Why do you think I harassed you so much before?  Why did you think I took your sketch book, and then complained that there were no pictures of me?”

“I—thought that I was just an easy target.”

“God, I’m sorry.  This was a bad idea.  I don’t know how I expected you to—”

“What movie do you want to see?”


End file.
